This invention relates to footwear, in particular, lightweight and comfortable footwear providing buoyancy in water and resistance to water absorption, and a method of manufacture therefor.
Casual and lightweight shoes, particularly, sandals are known. Many of these shoes and sandals (hereinafter collectively referred to as xe2x80x9cfootwearxe2x80x9d) are flexible due to the materials used to construct the soles. However, because many of these materials are porous, such footwear readily absorb water and become heavy and cumbersome. The absorbed moisture or liquid may seep out over time causing discomfort to the wearer, or even causing the wearer to trip or fall. Moreover, such absorption may stain the footwear or promote the growth of unsightly or odor-causing fungus.
To avoid some of these problems, some footwear have provided drainage holes or other drainage features which unfortunately do not prevent the absorption of water, but simply provide an outlet for the water absorbed. However, seepage is not avoided, nor is the growth of unsightly or odor-causing fungus caused by the trapped moisture.
As with recreational footwear, particularly those adapted for use in water recreation, it is desirable to have footwear that have buoyancy and float in water. It is not uncommon for a shoe or sandal to slip off one""s foot while ingressing or egressing a boat. It is also not uncommon for a shoe or a sandal to fall into a swimming pool. Accordingly, footwear which stay afloat in water, while resistant to the absorption of water, provide many advantages.
Another desirable feature in footwear is comfort in the areas of direct contact with the feet. While many footwear are desirably casual and lightweight, the desire to minimize weight has left many footwear with uncomfortable inner soles that lack a liner that is both comfortable and slip-resistant.
Furthermore, current fashion trends mandate footwear to come in a wide variety of colors. It is therefore desirable therefore to provide footwear which address the foregoing problems, but also be suitable to arrive in a variety of colors. In order to meet the ever-changing tastes of the marketplace, the color of the footwear should be easily alterable.
The present invention is directed to a new and improved footwear comprising a sole including an outsole and insole, an upper member affixed to the sole, wherein said footwear is floatable in water. In particular, the insole of the footwear is constructed of the material xe2x80x9cmarine buoy;xe2x80x9d that is, the insole has an inner structure and an outer coating, the inner structure being constructed of a thermoplastic resin and the outer coating being constructed of a vinyl polymer. As such, the footwear is advantageously water-proof and provides buoyancy in water. The upper members of the footwear may also be constructed of the marine buoy material and they may be configured as a continuous strap or flaps that are detachably attached to each other. The outsole of the footwear may be configured in close conformity with the insole, or it may include a peripheral border extending upwardly and around said insole.
The present invention is also directed to a method for producing a footwear with an insole, an outsole and upper members, comprising the steps of: forming the outsole, forming the insole by forming an inner structure from a thermoplastic resin, immersing the inner structure in vinyl polymer, arranging the upper members relative to the insole and the outsole to form said footwear, securely affixing the insole, the outsole and the upper members to each other. A step of the method may include providing apertures in the insole adapted for securing the upper members before immersing the insole in the vinyl polymer.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.